Dobin-mushi (Matsutake mushroom soup)

Please be alerted at the beginning of October, 2011. Please try hard to find the mushrooms in your area – local, domestic or imported. Finding kabosu fruit is a impossible mission at commercial base. Use a mixture of lemon and lime juice to flavor the soup.

4 servings

1 to 2 matsutake mushrooms, soaked in salt added water for 10 to 15 minutes to remove soil and insect (if the mushroom is clean and no trace of insect, omit the soaking process)

In a saucepan bring 2 cups water with 1/4 cup sake to a gentle boil. Have a bowl of ice cold water at hand. Add shrimp and cook until the outside turns white. Fish out shrimp with a slotted spoon and drop them in ice cold water. When shrimp are cool, remove them from the water and drain. Add fish to the saucepan and cook until fish turns white. Carefully remove fish from the hot water and lower it into cold water. Quickly remove it from water and drain. Enjoy!

In a pot heat 4 cups of dashi stock over medium heat to a gentle simmer. Add salt and the remaining sake. Add little shoyu to taste. Add shrimp, fish and mushrooms and cook 3 to 4 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat, add greens and cover the pot with a lid. Infuse the soup for a few minutes. Divide and transfer shrimp, fish, mushroom slices and greens into four soup bowls and pour in hot broth.

At the table each diner drops about 1/8 teaspoon of lemon and lime juice mixture into the soup.